Would you support a zip line at Lennox Headland?

A PROPOSED zip line could be a way to reinvigorate Ballina Shire's tourism industry in light of recent shark attacks, say local entrepreneurs.

Proponents of the idea, John Wallington and Peter Collocott said their concept of a three-platform zip line would extend 900m in length from the top of Lennox Headland to the north end of Boulder Beach.

The zip line will be discussed at the Commercial Services Meeting at Ballina Shire Council on Wednesday, but the flying fox has already met resistance by council staff.

Staff recommended in the meeting agenda that the council declined the pair's request to use public funds to instigate the project.

Environmental concerns and use of public land for a privately-operated commercial enterprise were cited by council staff as key concerns with the proposal.

Mr Wallington was surprised with the council staff's "strongly negative" recommendation about their proposal.

A map of outlining the area the proposed zip line would be installed.Contributed

"This is a new initiative, and I thought it would have had a slightly better chance of getting up and having a run rather than being chopped off at the legs by someone who is essentially a bureaucrat rather than a councillor, who we elect to make the decisions," Mr Wallington said.

He said Ballina Shire was in need of a tourism revamp, highlighting a lack of new facilities to offer tourists.

"The problem is tourism is the single most important part of Ballina's economy and tourism is not in great shape in Ballina at the present time," Mr Wallington said.

"There hasn't been much in the way of new tourism in Ballina for a considerable amount of time."

Mr Wallington stressed the proposal was a building block to create a platform for a potential zip line to be considered and that "considerable community consultation" would be needed if the project were to progress.

"We wouldn't want to impose something like this on Ballina (Shire) if the people didn't want it," he said.

He said zip lines have an "extraordinarily minimal" impact on the environment.

"If anything it's probably a positive environmental impact because the people who ride the zip line down are probably going to have to walk back up and do themselves some good afterwards," Mr Wallington said.